Punch press having radially expansible jaws to receive a centrally apertured workpiece



1965 D. NETTLETON ETAL 3,164,049

PUNCH PRESS HA LLY EXPA TO RECEIVE A Filed Oct. 18, 1962 VING RADIANSIBLE JAWS CENTRALLY APERTURED WORKPIECE 3 Sheets-Sheet l BY STA/V4 Z.Auo: Sa/V a A 77012 N578 ,1965 D. F. NETTLETON Em 3,16 ,049

PUNCH PRESS HAVING RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE JAWS TO RECEIVE A CENTRALLYAPERTURED WORKPIECE Filed Oct. 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 0 y4p F Warns/1w gYT'ANL 5 7L. ANDE :aN f M ,477 8/1/6345 United StatesPatent Ofifice 3,164lfi49 Patented Jan. '5, 1965 3,164,4149 PUNCH SERIESHAVING RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE JAWS T RECEEVE A CENTRALLY APERTUREDWGRKFIECE Donald F. Nettleton and Stanley L. Anderson, both A. N. Tool &Die, 518 S. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, Calif. Filed Oct. 18, 1962, Ser. No.231,491 2 Claims. (Cl. 83-206) This invention relates to punch presses,more particularly to punch presses for punching a ring of equally spacedholes or slots in a circular blank to form an electric motor lamination,or the like.

Included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a. punch press wherein a circular blank is mounted forrotation on a holder having a fixed axis, and the punch and die assemblyis radially movable to accommodate blanks of various diameters.

Second, to provide a punch press which incorporates a novel means drivenfrom the punch press drive shaft to index the blank, the indexing meanshaving readily interchangeable elements to permit variation in thenumber of punch operations to complete the punching of a selectedcircular blank, and means for ensuring accurate positioning of the blankfor each punch operation.

Third, to provide a punch press of this type which is particularlyadapted for punching disks of small diameter.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter,reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the punch press with portions shownfragmentarily;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken through 22 of FIGURE 1,showing the manner in which the collet holder is clamped;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken through 33 of FIGURE 1,showing the means whereby the collet and workpiece is rotated andindexed, and indicating fragmentarily the punch and die assembly;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken within circle 4 of FIGURE3, showing the lower end of the push bar and collet shaft;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, elevational, sectional view takensubstantially through55 of FIGURE 1, showing the punch press drive shaftand the right angle drive connected therewith;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken through 66 of FIGURE 1,showing the adjustable crank and gear drive associated therewith;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken through 77 of FIGURE 3,showing particularly the final indexing means;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary, sectional View taken through S8 of FIGURE 3,showing the punch and die unit and adjacent portions of the collet withthe workpiece in position thereon;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary,'plan view taken through 9-9 ofFIGURE 8, showing a workpiece and its relationship to its supportingcollet and to the die.

Thepunch press includes a bench structure 1 forming a horizontalplatform on which is mounted a bed plate 2. The bed plate is providedwith spaced guide ways 3 which receive slide members 4 secured to thelower or base portion 5 of a punch press framed.

FIGURE 8.

A screw shaft 7 operated by a handwheel 8 held by a bracket 9 at therear side of the bench structure 1 is operatively connected with theslide members 4 so that the punch press may be moved forwardly andrearwardly with respect to the bed plate 2. The guide ways 3 areprovided with screws 19 so that the punch press may be secured in any ofits adjusted positions.

The base portion 5 of the punch press frame 6 supports a die plate 11which in turn supports a die set 12. The die set includes a lowermounting plate 13 having up wardly extending guide sleeves 14 whichslidably receive guide pins 14a depending from an upper punch plate 15.

Supported on the mounting plate 13 is a die plate 16 having a die cavity17 therein which cooperates with a punch 18 carried by the punch plate15. A Stripper 19 is also carried by the punch plate 15.

The die set 12 so far described may be considered as conventional.However, it differs from the conventional die set or punch and die setby reason of the fact that the die cavity 17 is located as close to theforward edge of its die plate 16 as is possible, this being shown bestin The die cavity 17 extends through the die plate 11and communicateswith a discharge passage 20 sloping downwardly towards the rear side ofthe punch press.

The punch press frame'6 includes an upper portion 21 whichoverhangs thedie set 12 and is provided with a drive shaft 22 having an eccentric 23which reciprocates a ram 24. The drive shaft 22 is provided with aflywheel 25 driven by a motor 26 The punch press structure justdescribed may be considered as conventional.

Located at the forward end of the bed plate 2, and preferably weldedthereto, is an upwardly extending tubular pedestal 27 which receives asleeve 28' externally screw-threaded at its upper end to receive anadjustment nut 29 which rests on the upper end of the pedestal 27. Theupper end of the pedestal 27 is split and is provided with a clamp screw3%, as shown in' FIGURE 2, so that the sleeve 28 may be securely clampedin any vertically adjusted position.

The sleeve 28 is provided with upper and lower bearings 31 which journala vertically disposed collet shaft 32. The upper end of the colletshaft'32 supports an upwardly extending internal collet 33 held by aretaining collar. 34. The collet 33 includes a split stem 35 which islocated immediately forward of the die plate and the cavity 17 therein.

The split stem 35 terminates in a supporting shoulder 36 from whichprojects .a split centering boss 37. The centering boss 37 and collet 33aretubular. A down- *wardly tapered, expanding head 38 fits within'thecentering boss37 so that when drawn downwardly the centering boss isexpanded forthe purpose of holding a workpiece, as will be describedhereinafter. The expanding head 33 forms the upper end of a verticalpush bar 39, which extends downwardly through the collet shaft 32.

Secured to the lower end of the sleeve 28, and vertically adjustabletherewith, is a gearhousi'ng 40 having bevel gears 41, one of which ismounted on the collet shaft 32 and the other of which is secured toalateral shaft'42 extending through bearings 43 provided in a lateral orhorizontal housing 44. v

The lateral shaft 42 protrudes from the lateral housing "44 and isequipped with a ratchet lever 45 and a ratchet gear 46. The ratchetlever is provided with a radial slot 47 in which is a radiallyadjustable ratchet pawl 43.

The slot 47 also adjustably receives one end of a link 49, the other endof which is attached to a cross slide 59 adjustable in a diametricalslot 51 formed in a crankwheel 52. A set screw 53 effects adjustment ofthe cross slide 7 50 with respect to the axis of rotation of thecrankwheel 52 so as to adjust the throw of the link 49.

The crankwheel 52 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 54 located rearwardlyof the shaft 42. The shaft 54 is supported by bearings 55 providedwithin a lateral ex tension of a bevel gear housing 56. The bevel gearhousing contains a bevel gear set 57, one of which is mounted on theshaft 54 and the other of which is mounted on a vertical shaft 58supported by bearings 59 within the housing 56. The bevel gear housing56 is secured to the underside of the bench structure 1 and the verticalshaft 58 extends upwardly therethrough.

The upper end of the shaft 58 is joined by a universal coupling 60 to alongitudinally adjustable linking shaft 61 which extends into a bevelgear housing 62 having a bevel gear set 63 therein, one of which isjoined to the linking shaft 61 and the other of which is joined to thedrive shaft 22 of the punch press.

The lower end of the collet shaft 32 protrudes downwardly through thegear housing 40 and receives a cam wheel 64 and a final indexing wheel65. Secured to one side of the bevel gear housing 62 and verticallymovable therewith is a bracket 66 which reciprocally supports anindexing pin 67 adapted to engage the final indexing wheel 65.

As shown best in FIGURE 7, the indexing pin 67 is mounted on a rod 68which projects through one end of an oscillating lever 69. Collars 70 onopposite sides of the oscillating lever 69 transmit movement of this endof the lever to the rod 68 and indexing pin 67. A spring 71 is disposedbetween the indexing pin 67 and one of the collars 67 so as toaccommodate overtravel of the oscillating lever 69. Adjustment nuts 72are provided so as to adjust the indexing pin 67 in proper relation tothe final indexing wheel 65.

The oscillating lever 69 is journaled intermediate its ends by a fulcrumpin 73 carried by the bracket 66. The oscillating lever 69 is connectedby a link 74 to an eccentric wheel 75 secured to the lower end of thevertical shaft 58 carried by the gear housing 56. The ratio of thevarious bevel gears is such that with each rotation of the punch pressdrive shaft 22 the indexing pin 67 is moved into and out of engagementwith the final indexing wheel 65.

The lower end of the push bar 39 protrudes below the extended lower endof the collet shaft 32, and is provided with a cap nut 76 above which ispositioned a spring 77 for the purpose of urging the push bar 39 in adownward direction so as to cause the collet 33 to expand.

A lever 78 pivotally supported by an extension 79 of the bracket 66 isadapted to engage the cap nut 76 for the purpose of lifting the head 38of the push bar 39 to I permit retraction of the collet 33. The extendedend of the lever 78 is positioned for engagement by an air cylinder 80,or an armature of a solenoid. The air cylinder or solenoid 80, as thecase may be, is controlled by a cam-operated switch 81 which is engagedby a cam lug 82 provided on the cam wheel 64. A single cam lug isprovided so that the collet 33 will be released once for each revolutionof the collet 33 and its workpiece.

Adjustable stops 83 are provided to limit the movement of the lever 78,and an adjustment screw 84 may be carried by the lever 78 and locatedunder the cap nut 76. Also carried by the lever 78 is a secondadjustment screw 85 which engages a cycle or program-terminating switch86, electrically connected in a suitable manner not shown, to terminateoperation of the punch press when the collet 33 has completed onerevolution.

Operation of the punch press is as follows:

The punch press is intended to punch circular or diskshaped blanks A,shown best in FIGURE 9, which have central openings B adapted to fitover the centering boss 37 of the collet 33. The central openings B inthe blanks may be of a standard size, irrespective of the diameterblank, in which case a single collet 33 may be utilized for blanks ofvarious diameters. In order to accommodate various diameters of blanks,the punch press frame 6 is moved radially to and from the axis of thecollet 33, while the collet is maintained accurately in a fixed,vertical axis.

Each time the punch press performs a punching operation, involving onerotation of its drive shaft, the adjustable crankwheel 52 is caused tomake one revolution. In doing so, the ratchet lever 45 causes theratchet pawl 48 to move through a predetermined are relative to theratchet Wheel 46. A set of ratchet wheels, having appropriate numbers ofteeth, is provided so that for each cycle of operation of the punchpress the collet 33 will be turned or indexed through a predeterminedarc.

The ratchet gear 46 and ratchet pawl 48 need accomplish only a coarseindexing of the collet 33 and workpiece. Final indexing is accomplishedby the final indexing Wheel 65 and its indexing pin 67, which is timedto enter the appropriate slot in the indexing wheel 65 immediatelybefore the punching operation. A set of interchangeable final indexingwheels 65 is also provided.

By interchanging die sets, by radially adjusting the punch press, and byselecting ratchet wheels and indexing wheels having the appropriatenumber of teeth, circular blanks varying substantially in diameter andrequiring different numbers of punohouts C may be readily accommodated.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details ofthe construction set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications,and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as comewithin the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A punch press for punching a ring of apertures in a circular blank,comprising:

(a) a rotatable collet assembly including a collet chuck having radiallyexpansible jaws to receive a centrally apertured blank, and a centrallydisposed push bar for expanding said jaws to grip said blank;

(b) means for journaling said collet means for rotation of said blankabout a vertical axis;

(c) means for indexing said collet means and blank;

(d) a punch press including a punch and die set having an axis ofoperation parallel to and radially offset from the axis of rotation ofsaid blank;

(2) a bed structure for said punch press including guide ways andadjustment means to shift said punch press and die set radially withrespect to said blank;

(1) a drive assembly connecting said punch press and said collet means,said drive assembly including indexing means to turn said blank througha predetermined arc with each operation of said punch press;

(g) and means for actuating said push bar on indexing said blank througha complete circle to release said blank.

2. A punch press for punching a ring of apertures in a circular blank,comprising:

(a) a rotatable collet assembly including a collet chuck having radiallyexpansible jaws to receive a centrally apertured blank, and a centrallydisposed push bar for expanding said jaws to grip said blank;

(b) means for journaling said collet means for rotation of said blankabout a vertical axis;

(0) a punch press including a drive shaft and a punch and die set havingan axis of operation radially olfset and parallel to the axis ofrotation of said blank;

(d) a bed structure for said punch press including guide ways andadjustment means to shift said punch press and die set radially withrespect to said blank;

(e) a drive assembly interconnecting said punch press drive shaft andcollet means;

(f) said drive assembly including a ratchet and pawl means for effectingcoarse indexing of said blank; (g) a final indexing means including anindexing Wheel connected with said collet for rotation therewith, a

pin engageable with said wheel, and operating means 10 for said pin tocause engagement with said wheel as said ratchet and pawl means movessaid collet and blank to an approximate indexed position;

(72) and means for actuating said push bar on indexing 15 said blankthrough a complete circle to release said blank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSLindgren Feb. 9, 1909 Deats July 9, 1912 Dilks Aug. 18, 1936 Baker Feb.18, 1941 Hallander Dec. 23, 1947 Bailey Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTSGermany Aug. 25, 1892 Germany Oct. 31, 1957

1. A PUNCH PRESS FOR PUNCHING A RING OF APERTURES IN A CIRCULAR BLANK,COMPRISING: (A) A ROTATABLE COLLET ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A COLLET CHUCKHAVING RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE JAWS TO RECEIVE A CENTRALLY APERTURED BLANK,AND A CENTRALLY DISPOSED PUSH BAR FOR EXPANDING SAID JAWS TO GRIP SAIDBLANK; (B) MEANS FOR JOURNALING SAID COLLET MEANS FOR ROTATION OF SAIDBLANK ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; (C) MEANS FOR INDEXING SAID COLLET MEANSAND BLANK; (D) A PUNCH PRESS INCLUDING A PUNCH AND DIE SET HAVING ANAXIS OF OPERATION PARALLEL TO AND RADIALLY OFFSET FROM THE AXIS OFROTATION OF SAID BLANK; (E) A BED STRUCTURE FOR SAID PUNCH PRESSINCLUDING GUIDE WAYS AND ADJUSTMENT MEANS TO SHIFT SAID PUNCH PRESS ANDDIE SET RADIALLY WITH RESPECT OT SAID BLANK; (F) A DRIVE ASSEMBLYCONNECTING SAID PUNCH PRESS AND SAID COLLET MEANS, SAID DRIVE ASSEMBLYINCLUDING INDEXING MEANS TO TURN SAID BLANK THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ARCWITH EACH OPERATION OF SAID PUNCH PRESS; (G) AND MEANS FOR ACTUATINGSAID PUSH BAR ON INDEXING SAID BLANK THROUGH A COMPLETE CIRCLE TORELEASE SAID BLANK.